Drake vs. Michael Jackson: Akademiks Weighs In

Drake has been on an absolute tear lately, dropping not one, not two, but three new albums – *ICEMAN*, *Maid Of Honour*, and *HABIBTI*. The result? A clean sweep of the Billboard 200 charts, with his albums taking the top three spots, and his track “Janice STFU” hitting #1 on the Hot 100. This chart dominance has led Drake to surpass several music icons, including Michael Jackson, in terms of #1 hits.

Akademiks’ Take on the Comparison

While these achievements are undeniably massive, some fans are now arguing that Drake has officially surpassed Michael Jackson in every aspect of musical impact. However, not everyone agrees, and that includes Drake’s most vocal supporter, DJ Akademiks. During a recent livestream, Ak shared his perspective, acknowledging Drake’s impressive accomplishments while maintaining that MJ remains in a league of his own.

Ak explained that while Drake might excel in certain metrics, Michael Jackson represents the ultimate gold standard for global popularity. He argued that comparing them directly is difficult because the music landscape has changed so drastically. “I think back then, if you’re the king of pop, there wasn’t a million subgenres,” Akademiks stated.

The ‘Gold Standard’ of Popularity

Akademiks elaborated, suggesting that Michael Jackson would have encompassed the appeal of multiple current superstars like Bad Bunny, Taylor Swift, and Drake all rolled into one. He pointed out that today’s artists often cater to specific fanbases – hip-hop, Latin, country, pop – whereas Michael Jackson had a universal appeal that transcended genres and demographics.

In Akademiks’ view, “People just like Michael Jackson, no matter what. If you listened to music, you liked him.” This highlights a difference in the breadth and depth of universal recognition. While Drake is undoubtedly one of the biggest artists in the world today, the argument is that Michael Jackson’s impact was a singular phenomenon that may never be replicated.